Wireless test system

• US 20050086021A1
• Filed: 10/21/2003
• Published: 04/21/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Original Assignee: FormFactor Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Charles A., Eldridge, Benjamin N., Khandros, Igor Y., Sporck, A. Nicholas
• Granted Patent: US 7,218,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/121
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3025 Wireless interface with the DUT
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31907 Modular tester, e.g. controlling and coordinating instruments in a bus based architecture
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/31908 Tester set-up, e.g. configuring the tester to the device under test [DUT], down loading test patterns

Abstract

One or more testers wirelessly communicate with one or more test stations. The wireless communication may include transmission of test commands and/or test vectors to a test station, resulting in testing of one or more electronic devices at the test station. The wireless communication may also include transmission of test results to a tester. Messages may also be wirelessly exchanged.

Claims

1. A method of testing in a system comprising a tester and a test station, said method comprising.

transmitting test data wirelessly from said tester to said test station;

and

testing an electronic device at said test station in accordance with said transmitted test data.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting results of said testing wirelessly from said test station to said tester.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of testing further comprises testing a plurality of electronic devices at said test station using said transmitted test data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said test data comprises commands and said step of testing an electronic device comprises executing said commands.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said electronic device comprises self-test circuitry and said step of executing commands comprises operation of said self-test circuitry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said test system further comprises a plurality of test stations, and said step of transmitting test data comprises transmitting test data to a plurality of test stations.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein test data transmitted to each of said test stations is the same.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein test data transmitted to at least one of said test stations is different than test data transmitted to another of said test stations.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of testing comprises testing at each of said test stations an electronics device at said test station using test data transmitted to said test station.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising transmitting from each of said test stations results of testing said electronic device at said work station.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising adding another test station to said test system.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said step of adding another test station comprises said other test station transmitting wirelessly to said tester a request to be added to said test system.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said test system comprises a plurality of testers,

said step of transmitting test data comprises a first tester of said plurality of testers transmitting first test data to said test station;

said step of testing an electronic device comprises performing a first test on said electronic device in accordance with said first test data;

said method further comprising

transmitting second test data wirelessly from a second tester of said plurality of testers to said test station; and

performing a second test on said electronic device at said test station in accordance with said second test data.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said first test and said second test are different tests.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein a plurality of said electronic devices are disposed at said test station, and said first test is performed on a first subset of said plurality of electronic devices, and said second test is performed on a second subset of said plurality of electronic devices.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said test station comprises a prober and said electronic device comprises a semiconductor wafer.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a packaged semiconductor die.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a singulated, unpackaged semiconductor die.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic device comprises a multi-chip module.

20. A tester comprising:

initiating means for wirelessly initiating testing of an electronic device at a test station; and

receiving means for wirelessly receiving results of said testing from said test station.

21. The tester of claim 20, wherein said initiating means further comprises means for initiating testing of a plurality of electronic devices at said test station.

22. The tester of claim 20, wherein:

said initiating means further comprises means for initiating testing of an electronic device at each of a plurality of test stations; and

said receiving means further comprises means for receiving results of said testing from each of said test stations.

23. The tester of claim 20 further comprising means for maintaining an identification of a plurality of test stations, wherein:

said initiating means further comprises means for initiating testing of an electronic device at each of said plurality of test stations; and

said receiving means further comprises means for receiving results of said testing from each of said plurality of test stations.

24. The tester of claim 23 further comprising adding means for adding an additional test station to said plurality of test stations.

25. The tester of claim 24, wherein said adding means adds said additional test station after said initiating means initiates testing of an electronic device at at least one of said plurality of test stations but before said receiving means receives results of said testing of said electronic device at said at least one of said plurality of test stations.

26. The tester of claim 24 further comprising means for removing one of said test stations from said plurality of test stations.

27. The tester of claim 20 further comprising means for signaling another tester that results of testing have been received from said test station.

28. The tester of claim 20 further comprising means for receiving a signal from another tester that testing of said electronic device by said other tester is completed, wherein said initiating means initiates said testing in response to said signal from said other tester.

29. The tester of claim 20, wherein said test station comprises a prober and said electronic device comprises an unsingulated semiconductor wafer.

30. The tester of claim 20, wherein said electronic device comprises a packaged semiconductor die.

31. The tester of claim 20, wherein said electronic device comprises a singulated, unpackaged semiconductor die.

32. The tester of claim 20, wherein said electronic device comprises a multi-chip module.

33. A test station comprising:

an electronic device to be tested;

receiving means for wirelessly receiving test data from a tester; and

testing means for testing said electronic device in accordance with said test data.

34. The test station of claim 33 further comprising means for wirelessly transmitting results of said testing to said tester.

38. The test station of claim 33 further comprising a plurality of said electronic devices, wherein said testing means comprises:

means for testing a first subset of said plurality of electronic devices in accordance with test data received from a first tester of said plurality of testers; and

means for testing a second subset of said plurality of electronic devices in accordance with test data received from a second tester of said plurality of testers.

39. The test station of claim 33 further comprising means for wirelessly transmitting a request to said tester to configure the tester to transmit test data to said test station.

40. The test station of claim 33 further comprising means for wirelessly transmitting a request to said tester to configure the tester to stop transmitting test data to said test station.

41. The test station of claim 33, wherein said prober comprises a test station and said electronic device comprises an unsingulated semiconductor wafer.

42. The test station of claim 33, wherein said electronic device comprises a packaged semiconductor die.

43. The test station of claim 33, wherein said electronic device comprises a singulated, unpackaged semiconductor die.

44. The test station of claim 33, wherein said electronic device comprises a multi-chip module.

35. The test station of 33, wherein said receiving means further comprises means for receiving test data from a plurality of testers.

36. The test station of claim 35, wherein said testing means comprises:

means for testing said electronic device in accordance with first test data received from a first tester of said plurality of testers; and

means for testing said electronic device in accordance with second test data received from a second tester of said plurality of testers.

37. The test station of claim 36,further comprising transmitting means for wirelessly transmitting to said first tester results of said testing in accordance with said first test data and to said second tester results of said testing in accordance with said second test data.